Shoe and method of making and ornamenting the same



June 11, 1929. i v BRENNER 1,717,183

I SHOE AND METHOD OF MAKING AND ORNAMENTING THE SAME Filed Feb. 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Eda 0rd gag/men (IM W June 11, 1929.

E. BRENNER SHOE AND METHOD OF MAKING AND ORNAMENTING THE SAME Filed Feb. 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet gnve'nfoz from which the forward Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES P EDWARD BRENNER, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE AND METHOD OF MAKING AND ORNAMENTING THE SAME.

Application filed February 23, 1929. Serial No. 342-,208.

The present inventionrelates to an improvement in shoes and the manufacture thereof, being particularly applicable to ladies shoes.

Among the'objects of the invention are to provide a shoe of the type referred'to which will have a very attractive and distinctive appearance.

A further object of the invention is to en-l' able a shoe of the character referred to to be manufactured from relatively small pieces of leather which have, by the methods heretofore commonly followed, been considered as waste.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective of a shoe embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan of the forward or toe portion of the shoe prior to itsbeing molded or shaped on a suitable last. Figure 31s a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is aplan of the several pieces upper is produced.

Figure-5 is a transverse section substantially on the line 55 of Figure 6. Figure 6 is a planof the vamp piece or blank of the upper, detached, on a somewhat enlarged scale.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a slight ly different embodiment of the invention.

As shown in thedrawings, the invention is particularly applicable to the manufacture of low'shoes for ladies, and comprises the usual heel and sole portions, the invention relating particularly to the construction of the upper, and especially to the forward portion thereof.

As sho n in Figure 1, the heel portion 1 of the upper may be of the common, or any suitable, type, and a strap 2 having a suitable fastening 3 is provided for retaining the shoe in position on the wearers foot.

According to the present invention, the forward portion of the upper includes a plurality of pieces or initially separate blanksassembled and connected to the heel portion of the upper and the inner sole of the shoe. In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, such forward portion comprises a vamp piece 5, side' pieces 6, 6, and a toe piece 7. These pieces are initially'of such shape, that when positioned with the adjacent edges overlapping or in portion of the shoe contacting relation, they may be connected I by two strip members 8 and 9, that extend substantially from the throat edge of the upper to the sole edge thereof.

The strips 8 and 9 may be united with'the several blanks referred to by stitching or any other suitable means so that the forward portion of the upper as a whole may be readily shaped, in the usual manner, over a last, and the outer edge thereof secured to the heel portion 1 of the upper and the sole of the shoe.

By forming the forward portion of the shoe from a plurality of pieces, instead of a single piece of leather, it is possible to utilize relatively small pieces that have, by the methods of manufacture heretofore commonly employed, been waste or scrap, and thus the cost of material required for the manufacture of shoes is reduced, and further the strips 8 and 9 may be of a color contrasting with that of the pieces connected thereby, thus adding to the attractiveness or design of the shoe as a whole.

Preferably, leather is the material from which the several parts of the shoe upper are formed, but it is possible that other materials might be satisfactorily employed.

As shown, the vamp and side sections of the forward. portion 'of the upper are each preferably provided with an ornamental panellike section which, according to the present invention, is produced by the following method.

Each of saidsections or blanks has aseries of substantially parallel slits formed therein, the lengths of said slits varying so that the edges thereof follow the marginal lines ofa predetermined pattern.

and under the members 11 provided by the aforesaid slits, and in such manner that the said members are deflected transversely relative to each other, producing the effect of a twisting of such members 11 and providing a Through the-slits thus formed is passed a strip 10, said strip passing alternately over.

' which extends over the member 11 that initially is second in the series produced by the aforesaid slits and beneath the initially lowest member of the series. The ends of the strip 10 are suitably secured to the blank and thereby the members 11 are retained in the desired adjusted, twisted, relation.

Ornamenting of the several pieces of the forward portion of the upper, as above de-, scribed, may be readily effected prior to such pieces or blanks being connected by the aforesaid strips 8 and 9.

The effect of the method above described is to give the forward portion of the upper, if

the vamp and side sections are each constructed in the manner described, the appearance of being formed of a series of interlaced members extending practically continuously over the forward surface of the upper, the relatively small toe section 7 alone having an uninterrupted surface. However, as shown in.

, Figure 7, for example, only the vamp section 5 of the forward portion of the upper maybe thus ornamented, and also if desired, the heel portion of the upper may include an ornamental panel portion 12 constructed according to the method before described.

' The shoes illustrated are provided with a suitable lining, and the throat edge of the forward portion is embraced by a finishing strip 13. In the'form of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, this strip is provided with suitable apertures through which extend a lacing thread 1 1, thus adding to the appearance of the complete shoe.

. It is believed that. thg invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description and the drawings. It is appreciated, of course, that there can be various modifications of the 'details shown, and that'certain of the features of the invention may be embodied in other forms of shoes than those.

illustrated.

If desired, the several members 11 of each ornamental panel may be connected by any suitable means at both points at intersection, or the frictional engagement of the strip 10 therewith alone may be suflicient to retain such members'in the desired relation.

- Iclaim: .l

1. The herein described method of ornamenting a shoe upper comprisingforming a plurality of parallel slits in then per, passing a strip through said slits whi e adjacent crossing another of the members at a pluraltransversely in the direction of the length of.

the strip, said members being positioned in succession alternately above and below said strip, and securing the strip in position.

3; A section of a shoe upper consisting of a blank provided with a plurality of members separated by initially parallel slits, and a strip passing through all of the slits'alternately above and beneath the said members and also holding said members in laterally displaced relation in the direction of the length of the strip, so that each member crosses the next adjacent member.

4. A shoe upper having an ornamental panel comprising a series of initially parallel members, a mid section of each member being displaced edgewise with regard to the end sections, said deflected sections of contiguous members extending a in opposite directions, and meansfor retaining the members in the described relation.

5. A shoe upper comprising a forward section formed of a plurality of blankssuitably .united, the blank constituting the vamp including an ornamental panel comprising a series of initially parallel members secured at both ends to the blank and faces of each of. said members crossing another of .the men bers at points between its ends.

6. A shoeupper comprising a forward section formed of a plurality of blanks suitably united, the blank constituting the vamp including an ornamental panel comprising a se- .ries of initially parallel members integral with the blank, each member having one face ity of points.

, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y EDWARD BRENNER. 

